Our beloved Cathy danced her way into Jesus’ arms on Thursday, August 1st.

Born October 25, 1951, to Yates and Nonnie, Cathy was raised in Richmond, Virginia, where she first discovered her love of dance. She met her next true love, Skip Leach, at the tender age of 19 during a stay at Virginia Beach. The two immediately became inseparable welcoming their first child, Sean, in 1972. After seven years of traveling the world playing music and entertaining with their band “By Appointment Only”, Skip and Cathy decided to take roots in the beautiful town of Williamsburg. Cathy quickly plugged herself into the local dance community while growing her personal family to include two daughters, Amber and Heather. Merging her heart for children and passion for dance, “Miss Cathy” immediately became a local favorite teaching cotillion and dance to countless children in the Williamsburg area.

“Mimi” is survived by her husband of 48 years, Skip Leach; their son Sean Leach and his wife Kate; daughter Amber Spivey and her husband Paul; daughter Heather Carrington and her husband Mark; and six adoring grandchildren Ashland, Christian, Garrett, Rissa, Emma and Bennett. She will always be remembered for her enormous capacity to love, her unwavering faith and infectious smile, and the light that she shown wherever she stepped.

A Celebration of Life will be held on August 25th at 4:00 pm in The Regency Room at The Williamsburg Inn. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Virginia Regional Ballet’s Miss Cathy scholarship can be made via the website www.dancevrb.com or by mail at 1228 Richmond Road, Williamsburg, VA 23185.